Main Association of the German Timber Industry

What Main Association of the German Timber Industry does

The Hauptverband der Deutschen Holzindustrie und Kunststoffe verarbeitenden Industrie e.V. (HDH) is the central industry association and recognized employers' federation (Arbeitgeberverband) for the German wood and plastics processing industry. Founded in 1920 and headquartered at Chausseestraße 99 in Berlin, the association unites eight sub-sector bodies — VDM (furniture, ~400 member companies), HPE (wood packaging and pallets), DeSH (sawmill and wood industry), BDF (prefabricated housing), VDP (parquet), VFF (windows and facades), BIEF (interior construction) and AGR (raw wood working group) — under a single organizational umbrella that conducts collective bargaining, policy advocacy, and economic monitoring. The HDH represents these members' interests before the German federal government, the Bundestag (Lobbyregister R006478), and European institutions, while serving as the German member of CEI-Bois, EFV, FEP, and EFIC.

The association operates as a non-commercial registered association (eingetragener Verein) under German law with fewer than 20 staff processing personal data on a regular basis. Its member-facing outputs consist of two main research products — the monthly "Wirtschaft-Kompakt" economic briefing and the annual "Holzbau-Atlas" timber construction statistical report — along with position papers, press releases, the bi-monthly "Holzindustrie News" newsletter, seminars, and industry events such as the Deutscher Holzbaukongress. The HDH also runs training and apprenticeship coordination, most recently concluding a joint position with IG Metall in May 2026 to reorganize the "Holzbearbeitungsmechaniker" (wood processing mechanic) training occupation.

The association generates revenue almost exclusively through membership dues paid by member companies and sub-sector associations; it does not sell products or services commercially. The industry it represents is in cyclical stress: the HDH composite business indicator stood at -30.4 points for the wood industry in May 2026 (versus -15.0 for overall German manufacturing), furniture industry revenue fell 3% year-on-year in Q1 2026 to approximately €3.8 billion, employment in furniture companies with 50+ staff declined 5.2% to 65,454, and the number of such companies fell 6.5% to 374.

Name

Main Association of the German Timber Industry

Legal name

Hauptverband der Deutschen Holzindustrie und Kunststoffe verarbeitenden Industrie und verwandter Industrie- und Wirtschaftszweige e.V.

Website

https://holzindustrie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HDH is the German employers' federation and trade association for the wood and plastics processing industry, uniting sub-sector bodies across furniture, sawmilling, packaging, prefab housing, parquet, windows, and interior construction to conduct collective bargaining, policy advocacy, and industry data publication.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership dues and association activities: As an industry trade association, the HDH generates revenue through membership dues paid by member companies and industry organizations. It also publishes economic reports, provides seminars, and engages in advocacy. No commercial product revenue.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The HDH is the central industry trade association and employers' federation for the German timber and plastics processing industry. It represents member companies through policy advocacy, collective bargaining coordination, economic reporting, training/apprenticeship coordination, and European-level representation. It does not sell commercial products or services; its deliverables are member services, research publications, position papers, and organized industry events.

Product overview

The HDH is a professional industry association (Fachverband) for the German timber and plastics processing industry. It functions as both an employers' association and a lobbying/trade organization. Its member-facing analytical products include two main research publications: the 'Wirtschaft-Kompakt' monthly economic briefing that monitors industry-wide revenue, employment, and business sentiment data; and the 'Holzbau-Atlas' annual timber construction statistical report. These publications are complemented by position papers, press releases, seminars (Seminarreihe 'Alles Holz'), and an annual newsroom calendar of industry events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wirtschaft-Kompakt Monthly economic briefing that aggregates and analyzes business conditions, revenue, employment and company data for the German wood and plastics processing industry. Aimed at member companies and policy stakeholders.
• Holzbau-Atlas Annual statistical analysis of timber construction in Germany, tracking the timber construction share for single-family and multi-family housing by federal state. Used by member companies, policymakers, and sector analysts.

Quantifiable outcome

• HDH composite business indicator at -30.4 points (wood industry, May 2026), vs. -15.0 for overall German manufacturing — indicating significant structural stress requiring policy action.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CEI-Bois (Zentralverband der Europäischen Holzindustrie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDH is represented in CEI-Bois, the European umbrella organization of the wood industry. HDH hosted the CEI-Bois Generalversammlung (General Assembly) in Berlin in June 2026, with HDH CEO Denny Ohnesorge serving as a Board member of CEI-Bois.
• EFV (Europäischer Fertigbauverband)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDH participates in the European Prefabricated Building Association (EFV), representing German interests in European prefabricated construction policy and standards.
• FEP (Föderation der Europäischen Parkett-Industrie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDH participates in FEP, the European parquet industry federation, representing German parquet manufacturers at the European level.
• EFIC (Verband der Europäischen Möbelindustrie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDH participates in EFIC, the European Furniture Industries Federation, representing German furniture manufacturers in European trade and policy discussions.
• BDA (Bundesverband der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDH is a member of BDA, the German Confederation of Employers' Associations, coordinating labor market and social policy positions at the national level.
• DHWR (Deutscher Holzwirtschaftsrat)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDH participates in the German Wood Industry Council (DHWR), a network organization coordinating wood industry positions on policy, climate, and sustainability.
• DFWR (Deutscher Forstwirtschaftsrat)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDH collaborates with DFWR on raw wood supply policy and forest management issues. DFWR and DeSH jointly developed the RVWV 2026 (Rahmenvereinbarung für die Werksvermessung von Stammholz).
• AUMA (Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHDH participates in AUMA, the German Trade Fair Committee, for international trade fair representation and promotion of the German wood industry.
• IHD (Institut für Holztechnologie Dresden)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDH collaborates with the Institute for Wood Technology Dresden (IHD) on research, technical standards, and innovation in wood processing.
• IVTH (Verein für technische Holzfragen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDH works with IVTH (Association for Technical Wood Questions) on technical wood research and industry-relevant studies.
• IBU (Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDH collaborates with IBU (Institute for Building and Environment) on lifecycle assessment and environmental product declarations for wood construction.
• EPSA Deutschland GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEPSA Deutschland GmbH is an HDH partner providing support for subsidy and funding programs for member companies, co-presenting HDH webinars on Basel IV and ESG financing.
• IHD Kreditschutzverein für Industrie, Handel und Dienstleistung e.V.minorOthersHDH collaborates with IHD Kreditschutzverein on credit protection and risk management services for member companies.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EFV (Europäischer Fertigbauverband): European federation of prefabricated building industry associations; HDH participates through BDF. Same trade federation model focused on timber-based construction at European level.
• FEP (Federation of European Parquet Industries): European federation of national parquet industry associations; HDH participates through its VDP member. Same trade association model focused on a specific timber sub-sector at European level.
• GD Holz (Gesamtverband Deutscher Holzhandel): German wood trade association representing the wholesale and retail wood trade. Operates with the same industry federation model as HDH but covers the downstream wood trade/distribution segment of the same value chain.
• VDM (Verband der Deutschen Möbelindustrie): Germany's furniture industry association and a sub-sector member of HDH. Operates as a trade and employers' association for ~400 furniture manufacturers — the same organizational model as HDH but focused on one sub-sector.
• DeSH (Deutsche Säge- und Holzindustrie Bundesverband): German sawmill and wood industry association, a sub-sector member of HDH. Same trade association/employer federation structure, representing sawmills and the upstream wood industry.
• CEI-Bois (European Confederation of Woodworking Industries): European-level umbrella trade association for the woodworking industry, of which HDH is a member. Operates with the same federation/lobbying/advocacy model as HDH but at the EU level, making it the closest direct peer in mission and structure.
• BDA (Bundesverband der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände): Umbrella German employers' association of which HDH is a member. Operates as the central collective bargaining and labor policy federation for all German employers, structurally analogous to HDH but at the cross-industry level.
• EFIC (European Furniture Industries Confederation): European federation of national furniture industry associations. HDH participates through its VDM member association; EFIC operates with the same collective representation model for the same industry.

Regional players

• American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA): U.S. national trade association for the forest, wood, paper, and pulp products industry. Operates with the same collective industry representation model as HDH but for the U.S. market, serving as the closest functional analog in North America.
• Skogsindustrierna (Swedish Forest Industries Federation): Swedish forest and wood industry trade association operating with the same employers' federation/lobbying model as HDH but serving Sweden's larger forestry and pulp/paper value chain. Comparable structure and function in a different national market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Holzindustrie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hauptverband-der-deutschen-holzindustrie-und-kunststoffe-verarbeitenden-industrie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Main Association of the German Timber Industry